Ferris State Visits GVSU For West Michigan Rivalry Games Saturday Night
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Big Rapids, Mich. - The Ferris State University men's and women's basketball teams will journey to Allendale this Saturday (March 2) to square off against archrival Grand Valley State on the final night of Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) play.
The annual West Michigan rivalry matchup tips off with the men's contest at 6 p.m. (ET) followed by the women's game at 8 p.m. (ET) inside the GVSU Fieldhouse Arena.
Bulldog fans interested in attending the league doubleheader can call the GVSU Athletic Ticket Office at (616) 331-3200 or visit www.gvsulakers.com for more information.
Both games on Saturday will have playoff ramifications for all four teams and it will mark the final regular-season games for both the Bulldogs and the Lakers prior to the quarterfinal-round of the GLIAC TOurnament on Wednesday, March 6. The FSU men's and women's teams along with both Laker squads have already clinched conference tournament berths, but playoff seeding will be on the line.
The Bulldog men's squad will enter Saturday's game with a 14-11 overall record and FSU is currently tied with Hillsdale for fifth place in the GLIAC standings with a 13-8 conference slate. The two teams are one game back of GVSU, which is 17-8 overall and fourth in the league with a 14-7 GLIAC slate.
The top four teams following Saturday's conclusion of regular-season play will host quarterfinal-round home games in the conference tournament, which means the Bulldogs could potentially move into the fourth spot with a win over the Lakers. There's also a chance the two teams could turn around and face each other again in the first round of the GLIAC Tournament.
Meanwhile, on the women's side, the Bulldogs head into Saturday's tilt in sixth place with a 13-11 mark and a 12-9 conference record. GVSU has secured the number five seed for the conference tournament as the Lkaers are 18-7 overall and 14-7 in league play. However, Ferris State is only one game in front of Saginaw Valley State and the Bulldogs could face one of three different teams in the quarterfinals pending the outcome of Saturday's action.
Earlier this season, the two West Michigan rival split a conference twinbill in Big Rapids. The Bulldog men beat GVSU for the fourth time in the last five matchups by holding on for a 59-58 home win at Jim Wink Arena in Big Rapids, but the Lakers came back to register a win in the women's contest with a 83-73 triumph.
Overall, the Ferris State men's team has topped the Lakers three consecutive times and captured a share of a second-straight GLIAC North Division Championship by beating Grand Valley State a year ago on the Lakers' home floor in the regular-season finale at Allendale.
Saturday night's games will not be carried on Sunny 97.3 FM due to Bulldog hockey coverage the same evening at Michigan. However, both games will be streamed live by the Bulldog Sports Network online at FerrisStateBulldogs.com starting with the Meijer Pregame Show at 5:30 p.m. Rob Bentley and Sandy Gholston will team up to call the action.
GVSU will also provide a live video webcast and live internet statistics while fans can also follow live twitter scoring updates at www.twitter.com/ferrisathletics.